


Tea

by IrvingIV



Category: Homestuck, Persona 4, Sesame Street (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Contracts, Crossover, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, MacGuffins, Midquel, Persona 4 Spoilers, Psychic Bond, Swearing, The Death Penalty(discussed), The Velvet Room (Persona Series)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25480822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrvingIV/pseuds/IrvingIV
Summary: A fic written by somebody who hasn't even beaten/finished digesting all of the works of fiction he will attempt to include within it's scope.I won't spoil too much, but tea is Important here, also I don't really like tea, but that's not important.Works will be added to the tags as they crop up.I don't know how many will show up any more than you do,"When two enemies are talking, they're not fighting, so keep the conversation going." - Daryl Davis
Relationships: Adachi Tohru/Cabbage, Narukami Yu/Satonaka Chie, Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. A chance encounter.

There had been no truly dramatic developments in the investigation recently, and so the team, consisting of only a few highschool students now that the Inaba police Department had been thrown off the trail, had seen fit to take a bit of downtime from their efforts to find the killer.

Of the members of the team, Shirogane Naoto, known publicly by the pseudonym of: "The Detective Prince," was easily the brightest, though her streak of self deprecation was unbroken by the compliments of her newfound friends.

Of the other members, Naoto had formed varying opinions, and had begun to evaluate them once more (Mostly out of habit from her line of work, always questioning what she and others "knew") as she made the walk to the home of their "Leader."  
  
In the violent encounters they had toughed their way through with increasing frequency, (Much to Narukami Senpai's Chagrin, and Hanamura Senpai's Delight)Yu had undoubtedly been their greatest asset.

Somehow, Narukami had managed to grow in power to a degree far beyond the limitations of the others, Shrugging off blows that sent the others reeling. Attending his allies and vaporizing his foes with equal drive and ferocity.

Narukami's demeanor was as flexible as his combat capabilities, his personality flipping seemingly on a dime, not unlike her own doppelganger, but usually Narukami behaved as if he were the group's "guardian angel."  
  
A well dressed man entered her view on the sidewalk as she turned a corner, the tie seemed familiar, but that vaguely vapid expression, goofy hunched posture, and deceptively intelligent pair of eyes, Adachi without a doubt. His personal name escaped her, though, as neither she nor anyone around her had ever grown close enough to him to feel comfortable uttering it aloud, the man seemed to be permeated with the stench of detachment, but he took it in stride, and was genuinely polite in his own way despite his friendless nature and boorish manners.

"Ah, Naoto-Sensei! What a pleasant surprise, It's been a while since we met face to face-"

"A chance encounter is a pleasure like no other, Adachi. . ."

"Ah, you would forget it, it doesn't get used much, no matter how I spread it about. Adachi Tohru, please," he bent his arm and did a little mock bow, a practiced vapid grin curling his lips.

He had seated himself, cross-legged, where the base of a hedge met the relatively low top of a wall, where the road descended through the remains of a hill.

The slightest blush graced her face, though, facing the setting sun as he was, Adachi could not have seen it. "My apologies, Adachi-San, I have had crime on my mind as of late."

His face seemed to twist and churn for the briefest of moments, as if he were chewing on his own thoughts, or he had just been stung by a hornet and was trying not to shriek, but, if he really had tensed at all, he had somehow instantly smoothed out of his contortion into a casual, lopsided grin, just as his posture seemed to slide further out of alertness into a deeper slouch, and his hair somehow appeared more wild than ever, the man, put simply, was the ideal visual example of absurd, a perfectly modern European jester.

His eyes darted to either side so fast she barely noticed, before he spoke; "Can we please throw out the formalities, Shirogane-Sama? They waste time."

Naoto shrugged and nodded, before plopping down on the wall beside him, though she sat higher up the slope of the road to account for the difference in leg length.

"So Naoto, I'll cut to the chase, I was at Junes this evening, doing some shopping with Ryotaro, Nanako, and Narukami-"

"So you know, his personal name is Yu, but don't scatter it carelessly like dandelion seed."

"Close to the Dojimas?" He wore the surprise without deceit this time, "I suppose that's the only good reason to come all the way out to this stretch of neighborhood, unless you know the Hanamuras. . ."

His tone carried a faux romantic speculation, and so she laughed a deep laugh for the first time in a week.

"Nothing like that, though I am friends with Yu and Yosuke, they've been helping me to 'loosen up,' as it were; mostly by inviting me to spend time with them and their friends."

Adachi smiled a knowing smile before smoothing out again, unfolding his legs, and stretching out like a cat.

"In that case, I'll give you this," he reached into an overflowing grocery bag behind him and pulled out a tin of tea leaves, "as I was saying, My favorite Hiranya Cabbage was on sale at Junes today, but I got sidetracked and I was too far over my budget to get any, if you're seeing friends to de-stress and decompress, you should have tea to help."

Naoto appraised the tea tin with a healthy skepticism.

"How much do you expect me to pay, Tohru?"

That lopsided grin returned with a vengeance.

"Nothing, Yu-Kun was so nice to me today," he said, as if that answered her question.

Adachi stood to stretch some more, setting the tin of "Conference Tea" beside Naoto.

"He apparently grows cabbage and other such things at home, and he gave me more than I could've bought even if I hadn't spent a single yen on another product!"

As he left the stretch, grabbed his bag, and strolled past her down the road, Adachi wore a bigger grin than she had ever seen on his face, it seemed far more genuine, too. "I figure the least I can do is pay his actions back to his pals, bit by bit."

As he began to pass out of earshot, He raised his voice out of their shared whisper, "Shirogane-Sensei, please Tell Narukami-Sama I said Hello!"

With that, he waved his arm without turning, and vanished around the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bizarre conversation to be sure.
> 
> Sensei: as Naoto is the superior investigator, especially when you account for age, such that Tohru implies that he could learn from her/wishes to.
> 
> Sama: comparing the addressee with monarchs, emperors, and deities.
> 
> Kun: Comparatively disrespectful, like addressing the recipient as "YOU."
> 
> Edit: Altered some of the descriptions of Adachi's face and movement, closed a set of parentheses.


	2. Dinner Plans.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For what was neither the first time that month nor the last, Narukami Yu was at home without his Uncle Dojima Ryotaro, and with his cousin Nanako.

Whatever had gotten into Nanako, he had no idea, but with those adorable eyes, Yu and Ryotaro had been persuaded to take her to Junes in the brief time the man had been home. They had gotten the ingredients for a large dinner together, and had just invited Adachi to join them (with the promise of a heaping serving of his favorite cabbage), when a phone call had summoned Dojima back to work.

His host gone, Adachi had departed to wander the streets as usual soon after, leaving the household noticeably more hollow than usual after the lively afternoon of shopping.

"I just called Hanamura-Senpai, he said he has work until after midnight, but he and Roosevelt-San can come tomorrow morning if we have leftovers, because the store is closing longer after the sale to restock."

Never one to abandon hope, Yu had written the phone numbers of his friends down and instructed Nanako to invite them while he prepared the lavish dinner alone. Starting with the potatoes, he began the grueling task of washing, peeling, and slicing.

"Amagi-Senpai says she's too tired from management training, and that Kujikawa-Senpai called her before going to bed at 4:00." Yu nodded absentmindedly while he continued to peel the potatoes.

Yu had gotten through the potatoes and peeled the carrots before Nanako had called up Chie, apparently Yukiko had had enough energy to ask after them, and had passed on her apologies to whomever could attend.

"Chie-San Said Yes! Big Sis is coming over!"

Yu turned his head and grinned, _cutting off his thumb instead of the end of the carrot._

Biting his lip, forcing himself to remain _silent,_ Yu closed his eyes and focused on his will to protect those he cared about, solidifying the perception of himself as a guardian angel in his thoughts.

He held the severed half of his thumb in place, and in mere moments, "regeneration" was beginning to stamp his injury out of reality. He muttered a plea to his own psyche, and the glow of Diarama washed over his hand, fully repairing the wound.

Apparently, he had been meditating a lityle too long, because Nanako was a whole conversation further along than when he began to gather his wits.

"Naoto-Senpai said yes, too!" Nanako was in high spirits, none the wiser as Yu washed off the bloodied knife and cutting board in the kitchen sink.

In the end, dinner was well on it's way by the time Kanji had finally accepted the offer to join them, (so long as Nanako agreed to learn the basics of Crochet), despite the setback of an agonizingly long half hour as Yu had initially nursed his wound.

While the soup was in the oven, Yu had decided to call Uehara-San to invite her as their sixth dinner guest.

"Hello, may I ask who is calling me during my day off?"

Her voice was dripping with the sort of razor sharp malice that is only born from exhaustion.

"My apologies, Uehara-San, I was hoping to invite you over for dinner-"

"How forward," she said, a playful tone entering her voice as she recognized his voice.

"If you say so, I'm just offering to feed my friend," he smiled, "after all, you brought a comfortable form of dangerous excitement to that terrifying hospital job."

There was a drawn out pause, about 30 seconds. Sayoko knew what he was referring to, those empty rooms were possessed by some form of lingering malice or regret, the sort of thing that left hairs standing on end. Her. . . initially terrifying mock advances had been more tangible, less supernatural, it had been easier to comprehend, and more comfortable to accept.

They hadn't actually done anything but talk; the flirtation was just a performance, a way to manifest the unease of those empty rooms and exorcise it.

"I'll have to decline, I really do need my rest right now, I start up work again tomorrow afternoon."

Right, it was saturday night.

"I understand."

"If I change my mind though, I'll call you."

He had not entirely expected an affirmative reply, but he was still somewhat crestfallen that she had declined, considering how comforting he had found her presence to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teddie bears are named for Theodore (Teddie) Roosevelt.
> 
> Kuma is probably called Teddie in english to suggest plush harmless children's toys, which is consistent with his initial appearance, as well as to avoid just using a noun (bear) as a name.
> 
> So I ran with the name Teddie, and now the joke is that the gang is calling him Teddie Roosevelt and pretending he's an American to explain away his odd behavior to people who aren't in the know.
> 
> Apparently, hugging is like Spooning right side up in Japan? 
> 
> Or so i heard from a youtube comment about reversing a P3 social link by hugging.
> 
> (always check your sources folks)
> 
> I'm not sure what I'll do with this information, but probably Something.
> 
> (If I saw a character like Teddie in another game or a TV show, I would definitely write him as a hugger.)
> 
> Edit:  
> Added a conversation with Uehara, instead of narration just glossing over it.
> 
> After all, half of the gameplay in persona 4 is conversations.


	3. The Door.

No matter how many times it happened, seeing Yu's friends always put a smile on Nanako's face.

She wasn't quite sure how, but they always seemed to cheer her up when she was down, it was probably part of their "wisdom," learning how to do _everything_ by getting older.

She wished she could be older, too.

She could know as much as they do, and cheer them up like they had her.

**_Knock Knock._ **

"I'll see who it is."

_Big brother is so eager to help, I barely get to do anything!_

**_Sliiiiide._ **

"Tatsumi-San, what a pleasant surprise!"

_Weren't we expecting him?_

"Leave it. Didn't you have your sister invite me, Senpai?"

_"Yeah!"_

"I did, Kanji, but I expected Shirogane-San or Chie would arrive first, both of them live a bit closer than you do."

_Do they all actually live that close?_

"Ah, that's it then, you've forgotten my skill and passion for cycling."

_I guess not?_

"You biked here? I suppose the others will decide to ride here too, if they have the gasoline to spare."

"You don't need gasoline for your muscles, man, just a belly full of food!"

Yu chuckled as Kanji struck a confident, goofy pose, quickly kneeling and untying Kanji's laces before he could put himself through the effort.

"Then by all means, use those muscles to set up your kit with Nanako on the table, supper won't be ready for another hour or so."

_"If they're so far away, should we call again and see if we can get them to drive here to save time?"_

"I'll do that now; Nanako, you pay attention, Kanji is teaching you how to make crochet, remember?"

"I will."

_Big-Bro is always so serious._

~~\------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

_"Hello?"_

"Shirogane-San, It's good to hear your voice, Tatsumi has already arrived via bicycle, and I was hoping to catch you before you left home-"

_"I'll stop you there, Narukami-San, I am just up the street outside your house."_

"Alright, I'll come to meet you."

~~\------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

_"Hi, this is Satonaka Chie, please leave a message after the-"_

**_Beep-_ **

~~**_\-----------------------------------------------------_**~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit:  
> Minor drop in formality here, did a bit of this to earlier chapers too.


	4. How do they feel?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter, we get a bit more development before shit goes down.
> 
> You may have noticed the particular combination of characters at our disposal at the moment, people who aren't reading this fic before beating p4 will know what's about to happen when I say, there's no letter this time.
> 
> Also no pageant, or hotsprings, I understand that the tension in the group is important because when the thing happens right after and they're all on the same page it hits harder, but it sucks.

Yu was delighted to see Naoto, to the point that it was mildly alarming to him.

He HAD only been apart from her for about 2 or 3 days, after he had taken her through the secret base with Teddie and Yosuke to keep their training up to snuff.

(He had been surprised to find her innate knack for both exorcism and cursing, but even more baffling was a spell he had never encountered before in all his fusion experimentation, it hadn't been much of anything special as far as most shadows went, but the first time she had used it, on the golden hands. . .

It had been incredible!

The rush of power defeating 3 at once had given them was immense!

The windfall of money had just been a delightful bonus.

He was certain Naoto would develop into an even more powerful asset in time.)

_Perhaps I'm developing some form of romantic attachment, or sexual attraction?_

He slowed his pace slightly so he could study Naoto without her seeing.

_No, that doesn't feel quite right._

He was certainly attached, but not like that, Naoto had remained oddly distant even after joining their ragtag posse, and she was definitely attached to Kanji, Yu was not a wedge impeding relationships, he was a glue that fastened them together.

_So not romantic, perhaps another angle?_

_Her personality is certainly appealing, she's like the human version of a freshly ironed suit, perfectly professional and elegant._

Not to mention her usually authoritative tone of voice, it was strangely captivating?

Or how, despite her stature, she always seemed to fill the room.

But none of that particularly stirred any physical desire, those were the sort of reasons he'd decided to befriend Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko, a genuine admiration for the people in his life.

_So that's all, I'm just glad to see her!_

(All of this occurred in about 6 seconds.)

Yu increased his pace, forcing himself into lockstep with Naoto, watching her feet as they walked.

"It's good to see you, Naoto-san, thank you for coming over."

"I was free this evening, and of course, it's always nice to save a bit of money on food."

Yu stroked the back of his neck bemusedly.

"Ah, yes, it is."

She graced his awkward mumble with a quiet nod.

"I ran into Adachi-san on the way here, he said he accompanied you shopping?"

Yu thought back to that morning.

"Yeah, actually. He said he was in the market for a flatscreen, so he joined us on the way to Junes; of course, when he saw the prices, he freaked out about as much as Chie did."

"Satonaka-san was there as well?"

"Er, no, this was months back, around the time I met Yosuke, her family was looking for a bigger television at the same time I was looking for one to explore-"

"Is that how you established the tradition of entering the other world through Junes?"

She seemed oddly disappointed.

"Pretty much," he replied with a sheepish grin.

"Anyway, Adachi-san gave me a canister of tea packets, he said something about paying back a favor."

She held out the polished brass cylinder, at the bottom of the can, a fraction decreased while unobserved.

13/13 -> 12/13

Yu smiled sweetly at the sight of the can.

"Took my best cabbages, but I practically forced them into his arms, I'm just glad the guy's actually opening up to more people like I suggested, he seems pretty lonely."

"Can we brew ourselves some tea after dinner, Narukami-Senpai? I'm eager to try it."

Yu nodded.

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter is completed.
> 
> I hope you liked it, if not, tell me why, because I may make alterations based on feedback.
> 
> Case in point, Already made 2 editing passes for punctuation problems. (excessive periods . )
> 
> None of this is "final."


	5. Crochet? More like, No way Kanji can sit still next to his crush.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to the big meal.
> 
> Edit: No, we don't, stop making promises you can't keep.
> 
> Edit2: The infamous scarf is born.

As Yu and Naoto stepped into the house, he motioned towards the gardening tools.

"As you know," he whispered to Naoto, likely so that Nanako couldn't hear; "Those peppers I bring along when we go on our training sessions are an excellent way to replenish our magic powers."

Naoto nodded the slightest bit as she took off her shoes and removed her coat.

"I recently expanded the garden a bit, so I managed to get ten plants to sprout, but they aren't ready to harvest and need tending this evening-"

Naoto paused, her arm halfway to hanging her coat on the hook.

"Did you want me to accompany you outside, Narukami-san?"

Yu grinned sheepishly, "Nothing so excessive, I couldn't possibly feel lonely with so many of my friends so close."

He grabbed the gardening tools from the wall by the kitchen table, pointed out an oblong timer ticking away on the kitchen counter, and made his request as he put his shoes back on in the entry hall.

"Can you come get me from outside if the timer goes off before I'm back?"

Naoto smiled as she ambled her way towards the living room to admire the scarf that had begun to envelop the table and the floor around it.

"Of course."

Yu smiled gently to himself as he opened the door. "All right then, we should be ready by 11:00, don't forget to wash up."

As yu clipped at withered leaves and sprayed watered down bleach on the wounds, the sun finally finished it's journey below the horizon, replacing the warm glow of twilight with the cold, shining brilliance of the starry night sky.

He couldn't help but to sigh in awe at the magnificance of the world he lived in, setting down the scissors, he eased himself into the folding chair he had taken to storing with the gardening equipment.

When had he gotten this chair? 

The precise day evaded his grasp, but it had been a gift from Kanji, something about having your own stuff in a place far from home.

Truthfully, Kanji was plenty gentle with the people he cared about, he was just kind of rough around the edges, and harsh on people he viewed as threats to his loved ones.

The news stories had been vague at best, but if Kanji's account were to be believed. . .

He had managed to get away with murder, all because a biker gang had been loud enough to disturb his mother's sleep.

Naoto was in for a world of trouble once they properly hit it off.

**~~\-------------------------------------------------~~ **

Kanji was hard at work, and Nanako wasn't slacking at all, either, somehow, they managed a steady, synchronized pace, such that the scarf seemed to magically flow past them into the rapidly growing pile of cloth.

"Need a hand?"

"Huh? Oh, hey, Naoto! It's good to see ya!"

"It's good to see you as well, Tatsumi-kun, do you mind if I join in while I wait for the timer?"

Kanji processed the request for a moment, and his pace increased as his muscle memory took over, Nanako, for her part, kept pace surprisingly well.

"Sure, this is just a very loosely crocheted sheet of fabric, so if you have somewhere to go from you can attach more yarn if need be. I'll get a few more rows set uo so you can join us, please watch carefully so you can keep pace when we get started up again properly."

With the space to his left occupied by Nanako, Naoto plopped herself down onto a pillow to Kanji's right.

With a single side of the tabke housing three people, Naoto would have to either be squashed against Kanji or the leg of the table.

She opted for Kanji, so she could watch his hands better.

Kanji seemed to have begun the transformation into the world's largest tomato, but Naoto paid his discomfort no mind, relishing in the warmth that radiated off of him.

"The house is oddly cold," she said, settling further against Kanji's side, "perhaps winter has arrived early?"

"I-I'll see about asking Senpai i-if there are any spare blankets, or a Kotatsu."

Kanji stood and rushed to the entrance hall, slipping into his shoes.

So abrupt and jarring was his departure, that Nanako had barely cried out the word "wait," before he had opened the door and stepped outside.

A surprised Chie slunk into the house in the wake of Kanji's departure, waving hello and cying out the same as she removed her boots and striped green jacket.

"Ooh, I've always wanted to try something like this, making stuff is way cooler than kicking it into bits!"

Naoto patted the spot beside her.

"Tatsumi-kun has just vacated his seat, Satonaka-senpai, but I'm sure if we listen to his star pupil, we'll be working at a breakneck pace in no time."

As the three set to work continuing the birth on the (later fabled) monstrous 38-meter scarf, Nanako spoke up.

"Why couldn't Kanji-sensei ask me where the blankets are?"


	6. Simmering Fate.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanji chats with Yu, while I procrastinate actually kicking things off some more.

Kanji barely avoided trampling over Chie in his rush to get outdoors, or at least it felt that way.

It was surprisingly cold and windy tonight, and considering all the walking, running, fighting, and biking the investigation team, and Kanji specifically, got up to, they didn't really have the proper body fat to deal with such temperatures.

A chill wind brushed past, shening another shiver across his body.

It was times such as this Kanji wished he hadn't sewn the shoulders of his jacket and shirt together.

Facing the front door for the second time this evening, he paused.

He couldn't just turn around and head back in when he'd left so suddenly, and he _had_ promised to ask about blankets.

The snipping of scissors and the creaking of his old folding chair drew him up the staircase towards the garden.

"Senpai, you need a hand?"

Yu was already holding out the handle of a flashlight (electric torch?) in Kanji's direction.

"It's easier to find redundant leaves after sunset, would you mind being my Sun?"

Kanji flipped the light on and held it over the tomato plant, he was rather tall, so he could hit the midday angle perfectly.

It was colder up in the garden, and Yu was draped in a long, thin green blanket, the bottom of which rested just past his knees, tied up at the throat to mimic a cape.

Yu hummed something to himself while he snipped away at some of the lower leaves, glad his suspicions about a few of then had been confirmed.

"The walls are pretty thin, you know," Yu whispered conspiratorially," He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, indicating a small window just above the soil.

"The blankets and Kotatsu are in the closet across from the stairs; thanks for the help Kanji."

Yu took the flashlight back from Kanji and hung it in a wire frame over the next tomato plant, shifting his chair and repeating the trimming process.

Looking up, and then down, Kanji saw a similar frame had been removed from it's posts and set beside the wall; next to the small window. Looking in, he saw the girls working away at the scarf, though slower than when his automaticity had been driving the pace.

How it had managed to form a 2-foot pile on the table he did not know, but the fact they were slowing down as they worked indicated that they were enjoying the opportunity to chat.

Just what were they talking about, anyway?

Naoto was certainly rather excited for once.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Kanji made the trek back indoors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Changed the weather to make sense.
> 
> Yu was humming Signs of love.
> 
> (https://youtu.be/27WKaZ3AY4U)


	7. The answer.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why couldn't Kanji-sensei ask me where the blankets are?"

Naoto grew stiff-backed, and slightly quiet. Her hands slipped slightly, and she dropped her work, blushing slightly before regaining her composure, and quickly correcting the error her minor fumble had intruduced.

"Because running off was easier for him," she said somewhat sourly.

Chie grinned at Naoto's reaction.

"She and Kanji-Kun each have a crush on each-other, though they seem to be the only ones too thick to realize it's time to move forward."

Naoto's jaw went slightly slack, but again, she reassembled herself, asking:

"I am fully aware that we share this attraction, what exactly do you mean?"

Chie's eyebrows rose, but her words were dripping with sarcasm and snark.

"Wow, Naoto, I didn't realize you and Kanji were already dating. Tell me, have you got any pointers for a rookie like me?"

Naoto burst out laughing, though, she was pressing on her gut to do it.

It was a forced sort of chuckle, the hollowed out facade of a belly laugh.

"We are not presently dating, neither of us has had the audacity to state the obvious yet."

Nanako had kept her pace up, and the others fought to catch up for a bit, not speaking.

"Naoto-senpai, why haven't you told Kanji-sensei you love him?"

Naoto had taken a sip of water, but now it coated Chie, and to a lesser extent, Nanako.

"Eww, my shirt's all wet, Nanako-chan, where are your towels?"

"We have paper ones in the kitchen, I'll grab a roll from the drawer for y-"

Naoto stood and crept into the kitchen faster than the soaked girls could stand, being small and keeping up with her exercise made her quite agile, after all.

"I suppose we're both afraid what will happen if our emotions are laid bare," she said, as she dabbed the water up from their faces.

"So you'll just beat around the bush until the end of your lives? You should be more confident, come right out and tell him how you feel! I guarantee he'll be overjoyed, after he gets over being flustered, that is."

Naoto offered up a genuine smile to Chie, as she chuckled honestly.

"I suppose a head on aporoach is the best way to rush past anxiety. If you'll bear witness so I can't back down, I'd gladly do it tonight."

Chie and Nanako nodded enthusiastically in unison, and as Naoto rejoined them, the work continued, their conversation drifted to other topics, from the correct posture for kicking, to more advantageous ways to schedule one's week, to compensations for firearm recoil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Minor spelling issues needed correcting, fiddled slightly with event structure, describing where the characters are in more detail.


	8. Ice Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner is relaxing.
> 
> Pain is not.

The ringing of the timer had broken everybody out of their reverie.

Kanji still stood in the mudroom, removing his left (and last) shoe.

Yu had just trimmed the last leaf he had the patience to trim.

Naoto, Chie, and Nanako sat, dwarfed by the enormous pile of freshly made scarf on the table.

Naoto stood to fetch Yu from the garden, and Kanji rushed to the oven to remove the soup.

"Nanako, where do you keep the oven mitts?"

The girl smiled wide as she pointed to a nearby drawer.

"Over there, Kanji!"

Acting fast, He pried the oven open and removed the pot of stew, setting it on the cold stove.

He had neglected to put on the oven mitts, and spent the next minute or so running cold water over his burnt hands.

"Owww. . ."

Just as Naoto was about to step outside, Yu opened the door and stepped in.

"Tatsumi-Kun is injured."

Yu nodded and patted her shoulder, offering a reassuring smile.

He practically burst into the kitchen, worry knitted thoroughly into his face, Chie was standing beside Kanji, who had obviously burned his hands quite extensively, as the rough girl was doing her utmost to gently console her friend.

Yu gently pulled her away.

"How bad are his injuries," he breathed, "will he be okay with normal treatment?"

Chie shook her head.

"It's pretty bad, I'm not a professional, but this is at least a concentrated maragi to the palms. He'll need healing right away, if he's going to keep them useful."

Yu nodded, determination mixing with his concern.

He crept up quietly, laying a hand gently on Kanji's shoulder.

He was slumped over the sink, the cold water doing little to ease the pain in his hands.

Yu could only barely hear it, but Kanji was certainly sobbing, if only quietly.

He rubbed a few gentle circles into Kanji's upper back, before whispering to him such that nobody else could hear.

"It's okay to cry, Kanji, I won't judge you, I can tell how much it hurts."

Kanji's cries grew no louder, but his tears flowed more easily, and his expression slackened somewhat.

"Good, Kanji, that's good. Can you trust me with your hands?"

Kanji eagerly held them out to Yu, knowing what he was capable of.

Yu focused on Kanji's trust in him, and his own will to care for his friends.

A faint glow emanated from his palms, and then passed to Kanji's, regrowing the skin beneath his burns in mere moments.

Yu quickly wiped the cooked layers of skin free from the new ones, and tossed them into the garbage can beneath the sink.

"Chie, can I please have some ice water?"

The glass was already in her hands.

"Here, Kanji, drink this."

He eagerly gulped down the cool liquid, gasping and hiccoughing as he finished.

"Thanks," _gasp,_ "Senpai, Chie-Senpai."

"Better?"

"Much better, thank Yu."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Puns.


	9. Dinner and a Show.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it's FINALLY happening, sorry for all the stalling.

With Kanji's injury a ghost of a momentary nightmare, Yu and Nanako deftly danced about the living room and kitchen, setting out bowls, glasses, and spoons.

The guests stood back by the small garden window, in slight awe at the speed and grace of their hosts.

"Senpai looks so much faster when we're not running with him," Kanji whispered to Chie.

"Yu wasn't this fast back when we were rushing to save Yukiko, or even when we went to save you, Kanji."

"I think he's been enhancing himself somehow," Naoto chimed in, "he's been going into the secret base with just Rise a lot lately, and I saw the two of them come back from a shopping trip one afternoon, he must have been carrying over 400 Kilograms of clothes and appliances, but he didn't look tired at all."

No sooner had Naoto finished saying it, than Yu dusted off his hands and flourished an arm towards the table, it was fully set already.

The trio were aghast, they hadn't been speaking for _that_ long, had they?

Yu frowned, concern etched into his features, clearly he was worried at the lack of apetite and enthusiasm his friends were exhibiting.

One moment, he was standing before the three, looking worried.

The next moment, Naoto and Kanji were slung over his back, their arms dangling uselessly as Yu charged over to the table, setting them right beside each-other, facing the television.

The duo wore furious blushes that would not fade for a few minutes, and before they could separate, Yu had spirited Chie to the side of the table to their left, and, having carried her under his right arm this entire time, placed Nanako to their right.

Yu was a matchmaker, but he was no fool, he knew that Kanji and Naoto would explode from stress or embarrassment sitting next to each other without something else to focus on. He switched on the television and put on Wheel of Jeapordy.

All three of his guests were somewhat competitive by nature, Naoto was well studied, Chie had excellent pop culture knowledge, and Kanji was experienced in all sorts of practical day to day matters, so the gameshow proved a sufficient distraction from the closeness.

"Enjoy, everyone."

Kanji was first to sample the stew.

"Huh, this is wierdly strong, Senpai, and it's not very complicated as far as the flavor goes."

Naoto took a bite next.

"This reminds me of something I had in the United States when I was younger, Chili, I think?"

Chie was third to sample the soup.

"Whoa."

The others looked at her with mild concern.

"This is. . .different? It all one big flavour, it's sort of like. . . a wall?"

Yu looked nodded with understanding.

"Yes, a lot of western cuisine is more about one big flavour, as opposed to multiple contrasting flavors. Sushi is a good example of the latter type of food."

Naoto smiled.

"Yes, I remember having hotdogs in New York, it was also like a large wall of flavor, instead of several smaller flavors."

Kanji grinned, taking a few large bites, chewing through his potatoes with delight.

"It's different, but a nice kinda different."

Yu became a friendly vulture, circling around the table, refilling bowls and glasses with stew and milk, he noticed a pair of hands meeting, their fingers intertwining.

Yu smiled as he put on the tea kettle; tonight was going to be great.

~~**\----------------------------------------------** ~~

As dinner was wrapping up, Yu set out the mugs and poured the tea, finally seating himself with the others beside Chie, and allowing the conversation to flow as he enjoyed the hot drink.

The faint aroma of Lavender wafted through the room from every mug, but beyond that, each detected a different odor.

Naoto breathed deep of Black Licorice.

Kanji savored the scent of Cinnamon.

Chie would have sworn she was drinking Beef broth if she hadn't seen Yu brew the tea before her eyes.

Nanako insisted on having coffee instead of tea.

Yu. . .

Yu could smell something deeply wrong with the tea, it reeked of something else, something otherworldly.

It was almost. . . like that dusty, burnt, metallic taste that seemed to echo from every corner of the velvet room.

But even that wasn't quite right, there was something about it that felt even less concrete, like it was the scent version of a mirage, or perhaps very poorly concealed by one.

Moments later, his tea smelled of hot Cocoa.

Not wanting to worry his friends, Yu took a few sips as well.

It hit him in an overwhelming wave, and he almost doubled over.

It felt like he had just swallowed that sickening Fog they had such trouble seeing through.

But then, just as fast, it was gone.

As Yu steadied himself, his vision swam.

He felt dizzy, and lightheaded, but also exhausted.

Perhaps his 'contract' was in conflict with whatever was now happening to him?

The others didn't seem to be affected nearly as powerfully.

He leaned his head on Chie's shoulder, maybe he just needed to rest his eyes. . .

The others were growing groggy as well.

"Naoto, Kanji, maybe you should," *yawn,* "head home?"

The others yawned as well, and the two of them stood, heading for the door.

"G'dnight, Chie-senp-"

Naoto crumpled midstep towards the floor.

Kanji, momentarily startled back to wakefulness by the urgency of the situation, lunged to catch Naoto before her head could hit the floor.

The pair of them tumbled and fell together to the ground, though much better off than if they had collapsed alone.

Luckily, the pile of 2 torsos and 8 limbs landed Kanji side down, or Naoto would probably have suffocated from the weight.

Nanako stared dumbfounded at the older kids.

_Why the fuck are big bro and his friends so wierd?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nanako is very polite on the outside.
> 
> Yu has been abusing shuffle time heavily.
> 
> It's basically 99s across the board on the angel he's using, which is definetely achieveable of you fuse something like victory cry onto it, and then use skill cards for the rest.


	10. The Backroom.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What?

As Kanji woke up, he felt an oddly soft weight on his chest, and the warmth of soft, arrhythmic breathing against his exposed neck.

There was a mop of short, messy blue hair in his face. 

_Naoto?!_

His first instinct was to bolt upright and put some distance between them.

But this atmosphere defied instinct.

Beyond the sweetness of the moment, why did he enjoy the warmth so much?

_Damn, It's freezing in here._

He recalled that the window was open when they had fallen asleep, but why. . .

_That tea, it must've been drugged!_

More importantly, where was that faint light coming from, it wasn't from the television or the house lights.

Craning his neck to see, Kanji blushed as he saw Senpai crouching next to him, holding out his cellphone and watching over them as Naoto slept and he got his bearings.

"Kanji, wherever you think we are, you're wrong, don't be alarmed, and get up slowly."

_Does that mean Naoto isn't real?_

Either way, he gently moved her onto the floor beside him and, with Yu assisting, stood up.

"What exactly's going on, Senpai," Kanji breathed, "wha'd'ya mean I'm wrong about where we are?"

Yu grimaced and led Kanji to where he knew the wall should be.

There was nothing but an empty black void.

"What!?"

There was no echo to his voice, it simply faded into the distance 

"I don't know where we are exactly, Kanji, but I have a gut feeling that it's similar to the place I work on my personas."

"You're a lot braver than us, senpai, if this is really the sort of place you have to come to in order to improve yourself."

Yu wasn't quite satisfied with that, but he felt Kanji understood enough, and so he let it slide.

"But enough about training, where's Chie-Senpai?

Yu motioned towards the spot he had been sitting after dinner.

Chie sat there, yawning, and as the light of the phone passed over her, she waved.

"Good morning, Kanji-kun. How was your nap?"

Kanji chuckled.

"Pretty good, yours?"

Chie shrugged.

"Can't say I hated it, though I prefer to wake up where I went to sleep."

At last, Naoto stirred, rubbing her eyes and looking around confused.

"W-why is it so c-cold now?"

Despite the stillness of the air, they all felt it.

It had grown harder to breathe, as well, and they gathered around the table.

Chie got up and walked over to the counter.

"Didn't we put the- Ah ha!"

She returned with the monstrous scarf trailing behind her.

"Everybody help me move the couch."

It took a bit of work, but eventually the four if them settled into the couch, and managed to pile the scarf over themselves enough to stay warm.

No sooner had they gotten situated than the television flickered to life.

A shadowy figure stood in front of a wall of what looked like the living room in Dojima-San's home.

"Howdy, everyone, sorry for the trouble, but I didn't realize y'all were waiting for me, I'll bring you on up right away."

The T.V. flickered out, and all at once, the floor began to move, slowly at first, then faster.

They rose and rose, until at last, they sat within a near perfect replica of the living room, with the shadowy figure before them.

"Now, now, I'm sure you all have a lot of questions, like, 'Who the fuck is this fresh lookin' motherfucker?' and, 'Why can't I have shades like those?' well, the answer to those questions is, mind your own business, and you totally can!"

The shade tossed four pairs of shades with apples emblazoned on them.

"i-shades, the hands-free cellphone of the future. Enjoy. I have my own shit to deal with, and the big guy'll come along to see you shortly, so have some A.J. from the fridge while you wait."

An oaken door appeared behind him, and the shadowy fellow opened it, waving over his shoulder as he stepped across the threshhold and the door vanished, being replaced by a crackling hearth.

The room was much warmer than the void from before, so the four of them dispersed, and Kanji, being thirsty, made a beeline for the refridgerator.

True to the word of the profane apparition, the refridgerator was chok full of bottled Second Maid Apple Juice.

Kanji grabbed himself a bottle and gulped it down greedily.

"Seems fine, anybody else want one?"

Yu nodded, and Kanji tossed him a bottle.

He caught it perfectly, and taking a seat with Chie, at the kitchen table, he started in on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a tie in with another fic in the Tea universe, don't worry about it.


	11. "Lucidity"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I switched tabs while writing this chapter and lost the whole thing.
> 
> Thanks mobile.

While the others sated their sweet tooths in the kitchen, pondering at the oddness of the intentions of the stranger and the identity of the "big guy," Naoto lounged quietly on the sofa, leaning back on the enormous pile of scarf that the others had discarded.

_These "i-shades," how does one use them without a keypad?_

Naoto donned the computer glasses, and, feeling along the edge of the frames, found a solitary button to press.

_I can still see through the lenses, how does this function as a computer screen?_

She pressed the button, and the lenses darkened, obscuring her vision.

The device lit up, either lens showing a slightly different view of the same chatlog.

The effect of this was the illusion that the words exsisted in 3 dimensions.

The chatlog had three 2 letter usernames, and a conversation among tge users was ongoing.

_"tK: So, what the fuck is this place, anyway, some kinda freaky void and then a living room?"_

_"nY: Why don't you ever see the full picture? This isn't as simple as the tv world."_

_"Shirogane Naoto" (sN) has begun thinking with us! Think friendly thoughts!_

_"sC: Oh, Naoto-kun's here, another thing ruined."_

_"sC: Oh no, I'm so sorry!"_

_"sN: So, these letters are our initials-"_

_"sN: I didn't type that! Are those my thoughts?!"_

_"sN: Nobody should be able to just casually read my thoughts-"_

Naoto ripped off the i-shades, panting slightly.

_no matter how well I know them._

_~~**And we all agreed to never again read Naoto's thoughts.** ~~ _

Naoto switched off the i-shades, and snapped them in half.

Finally, she walked over to the hearth, hurling them into the flames for good measure.

Satisfaction washed over her as she watched the black plastic melt away and drip into the ashes below.

A scowl still adorning her face, Naoto slunk into the kitchen to grab some apple juice.

Upon opening the fridge, she was greeted with lemonades instead.

_Odd._

Not seeing any harm in the change of beverage, and momentarily distracted from her foul mood, she grabbed a bottle and bounced her way back to the sofa, flopping back down an-

_Ouch! Why is this scarf so stiff?!_

Turning around, Naoto found a pair of amber eyes gazing into her own, a coiled sheet of iridescent scales coating the sofa before her.

A forked tongue tasted the air, coming just shy of tickling her nose.

 _"Hello, little one."_ her own voice, higher than normal, echoed in her head, _"Do you mind if I join you?"_

_A talking snake?! How on earth-_

_"Well, that's just the thing. We **aren't** on the earth, or beneath it, for that matter."_

_How can you re-_

_"read your thoughts~?"_ her own voice sang, _"Oh, it's easy! After all, I **am** you."_

 _That can't be!_ She projected, _I have nothing to deny!_

_"You humans are always so **fun** to toy with, of course I'm not a **shadow,** you silly girl, no such things could even exist here, where all but the strongest dreams and souls fade away._

_I am the snake, the deepest manifestation of doubts and temptations, deceit, the pursuit of knowledge and truth. I am a swindler and a lier, a sage and a charlatan, an ancient god and a helpless field pest all in one. I am ravenous. I am **avarice**. I am the serpent, the **dragon**. . ."_

As the creature impressed upon her its titles, it circled about, such that Naoto was forced to turn repeatedly to see its face.

It sprouted horns whiskers and claws, branches and fruits, human arms holding staves and quills and coins; all fell to the carpet below, silently vanishing without a trace behind the glitter of the shining sea of scales that now surrounded Naoto.

_"But for now, I believe the name, 'Lucidity' shall suffice."_

The serpent, pitch black, and once more concrete in her form, bowed low, eyes wide open and never leaving Naotos own.

_It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lucidity._

_Such an odd name, what does it mean?_

_"Well, it means-"_

**"Cookies!"**


	12. The Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What strange nightmares shall join us?

As Naoto and Lucidity made their introductions, the others were still conversing using the i-shades.

Kanji was first to break off from the trio, switching off the screen and strolling to the fridge for more apple juice.

Finding it mostly empty, _(Did we really drink that much?)_ He grabbed the last bottle and, not paying attention to his surroundings, settled down on the floor next to the sofa.

As he sat, pulling out his animal crackers for a snack, his mind began to wander, and old, half remembered conversations drifted back into his mind.

**~~\-------------------------~~ **

_"Did you see the latest episode of sesame street, with the monster that eats cookies?"_

_"No, I don't have a television anymore, my American step uncle, Elvis, shot it."_

_"No joke? How did he get a gun permit without citizenship?"_

_"I dunno, Kanji's just making the rest of this conversation up because it sounds about right."_

_"Why?"_

_"Most people think they have good memories when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. Human memory is incredibly fragile. Imagine for a moment that our life is a story, statistically, everybody who's read this far will have already forgotten important details from chapter 1, or foreshadowing in other chapters, likely because they wanted to get to this part and weren't paying attention. Human memory is inherently fragile like that."_

_"Wait, what was that bit about read-"_

_"No, seriously, didn't you hear about the list of american death row inmates who were wrongfully convicted by eyewitness testimony, and then exhonorated by DNA evidence years later?"_

_"Aren't we supposed to be kindergarteners?"_

_"Kids know tons of stuff, people just assume they don't."_

_"That's fair."_

_"Besides, Tatsumi Kanji is in denial of his own intelligence, this is the only outlet he has, trapped within his own mind, forced to-"_

_Holy shit a monster!_

**~~\-------------------------~~ **

Long, shaggy blue fur swayed as it shuffled down the stairs, its limbs posed not unlike those of a pangolin, coated in scales which looked like chocolate chips.

Its sclera and irises were white, like milk, and it's long white claws were reminiscent of carved ladyfingers.

As it opened its mouth, great shards of red and white peppermint were revealed, some were rounded, others pointed, row after row of these alabaster(check that later) teeth glinted with moisture as a long fruit rollup tongue lashed, and the beast roared out its foul cry, gazing intently at the food in Kanji's hands.

_**"COOOKIEEEEEEESSS!"** _

The creature lunged, claws outstretched, its teeth bared, its eyes wide, grainy, koolade mix laden spittle flecked across its maw and splashed across the floor.


End file.
